12/30/2021 – One of the most anticipated events in the chess calendar, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, is taking place on December 25-31 in Warsaw, Poland, at the PGE Narodowy Stadium. Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 15.00 CET (9.00 ET, 19.30 IST). | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz
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YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
In this video course experts examine the games of Bent Larsen. Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
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Day 2 - Blitz
One of the most anticipated events in the chess calendar, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, is around the corner. The open and women’s championships that have been held concurrently since 2016 will take place on December 25-31 in Warsaw, Poland, at the PGE Narodowy Stadium. Traditionally, the participants will fight not only for titles and glory but also for substantial prize money. (See full regulations: Open | Women’s).
The reigning champion in all three formats (classical, rapid and blitz), Magnus Carlsen, is heading into the event as a clear favourite, but his old and new rivals are eager to challenge his supremacy. Can Magnus repeat his triumph of 2014 and 2019 and win a double-crown?
You are looking for an active answer to 1.d4? Then the Grünfeld Indian is an excellent choice! Not by chance this opening is one of the main weapons of some top grandmasters!
Commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili and IM Lawrence Trent
Open
Rapid - 13 rounds with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10-second increments per move
December 26: Rounds 1-5
December 27: Rounds 6-9
December 28: Rounds 10-13
Blitz - 21 rounds with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments per move
December 29: Rounds 1-12
December 30: Rounds 13-21
Women’s
Rapid - 11 rounds with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10-second increments per move
December 26: Rounds 1-4
December 27: Rounds 5-8
December 28: Rounds 9-11
Blitz - 17 rounds with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments per move
December 29: Rounds 1-9
December 30: Rounds 10-17
In both sections, rounds kick off daily at 15.00 CET, except on December 30 when the final day of blitz will begin one hour earlier, at 14.00 CET.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
The Nimzo-Indian has stood the test of time for over a century: Still a top choice for elite players today, from Magnus Carlsen to Praggnanandhaa, it remains one of Black's most reliable ways to fight for real chances against 1.d4 2.c4 3.Nc3.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4!? is an opening idea well worth considering. Black immediately threatens to double the pawns on c3 in the style of the Trompowski or Sicilian Grand Prix attack.
Italian Game Powerbase 2026 is a database and contains 8571 top class games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 479 are annotated.
Videos: Nico Zwirs discusses the Sicilian with 2…e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qe3 Nf6 6.Nc3. Mihail Marin examines Sindarov’s 6.Ne5 in the Queen’s Pawn Defence. Plus the ‘Lucky bag’ featuring 41 analyses by Berg, Ftacnik, Gupta and many others.
If you're looking for a dynamic alternative to the Slav, Queen's Gambit Declined, or other mainstream systems, the Chigorin Defence offers exactly what modern tournament players need.
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